Suspects in Mawego Police Station arson freed on Ksh.50K cash bail

Seven men linked to the July 3 arson attack on Mawego Police Station in Rachuonyo North, Homa Bay County, were on Thursday released on cash bail.

Kennedy Oluoch Oluoch, Nicholas Otieno, Tofiq Owiti Mohamed, Michael Omondi Opiyo, David Bill Clinton Otieno, Robert Ouko Abala, Samuel Ouma Odhiambo, and Erick Obunga Osumba face three counts, including terrorism charges.

A Nairobi court granted cash bail of Ksh.50,000 each to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth accused persons.

The sixth accused was meanwhile denied cash bail and was instead released on a bond of Ksh.200,000 with two sureties of a similar amount.

The eight are said to have orchestrated last month’s attack, which detectives say led to the destruction of property during protests over the death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody.

They were first arraigned before the Oyugis Law Courts, where the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said they were believed to be the “ringleaders behind the coordinated attack, carried out in collaboration with other accomplices who remain at large.”

“Count I: Commission of a terrorist act, contrary to Section 4(1) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). Count II: Arson, contrary to Section 332 of the Penal Code. Count III: Malicious damage to property, contrary to Section 339 of the Penal Code,” DCI said of the charges levelled against the suspects.

All have pleaded not guilty.

The court has set the pre-trial for August 14.